Double Take

Last week I passed one of my former students on campus.  I think she was in my class just last year, but as we got closer and I smiled and said, “hi,” she clearly had that blank sort of “I have no idea who you are” look on her face.  It wasn’t devastating to me; after all it’s not the first time it’s happened. But, I was a little surprised that someone who had to stare at me for an hour once a week as I lectured about study skills, academic responsibility and notetaking didn’t seem to remember me.  But, just as we got to point where we’d be heading in opposite directions, I saw the light click on in her head and she said, “You look great! I almost didn’t recognize you!”

I said thanks and we both went our separate ways, but it jarred me. Friends and colleagues regularly tell me that I look great, but it’s harder for me to see the difference because I’ve been watching my body change very slowly over the last year.  This sort of reaction was out of the ordinary and made me see myself differently.